The Hobbit finally enters into production

Plus new images from the set

The Hobbit finally puts its production woes behind it yesterday when the movie prequel to The Lord Of The Rings entered into production at last.

A press release has been issued in celebration of the historic occasion, and includes two shots from the film’s New Zealand set that show off a thankfully very healthy-looking Peter Jackson.

Jackson suffered a health scare last month that postponed production on his long-troubled Hobbit .

The press release also gives us an official synopsis for the movie, which will be split into two parts and released a year apart.

For those who’ve already read the book, the synopsis won’t contain any surprises, but you can check it out below anyway... The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug.

Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

The Hobbit: Part One opens December 2012, with Part Two following a year later.